Control device for heating apparatus



Aug. 2, 1927.

1,637,369 E. P. BOGAN CONTROL DEVICE FOR HEATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 19, 1925 awucmfoz fry a7 77,5 77)? 93w ,Z ZMZZW MQL/M/M- I Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES EDGAR I. BOGAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CONTROL DEVICE FOR HEATING APPARATUS.

Application filed October 19, 1925. Serial No. 63,447.

The invention relates to a device for corn trolling a heating apparatus from a remote point and is particularly adaptable for use in the regulation of hot Water heaters, furnace dampers and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a device in which a slidable member attached to the valve or damper of the heating apparatus is manually operable in one direction to set the camper or valve in one position and is electri ally operable to allow the valve or damper to be moved in another position of adjustment. Another object is to provide a mechanism having an electro-magnetically operated. catch serving); to retain the slide in its upper position. means for energizing the mechanism to release the catch and means for automatically (lo-energizing the magnet upon the comple' tion of the downward movement of the slide. further object is to provide a vice l pted to be controlled by means of thermostats in order to release the slide from its upper position of adjustment. Still tur- 2 ther objects reside in the details bfconstruction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the control device;

Figure 2 is a perspective view thereof;

Fi ure 3 is a cross section on the line 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section showing the release of the sliding member;

Figure 5 is an electrical diagram showing the method of operating the apparatus by i'neans of a thermostatic control.

My improved apparatus is preferably mounted upon a panel which in turn, is fastened to a wall at a point remote from the heating apparatus and is provided with a slide vertically movableon the panel. The sl de is connected to the damper or valve of 4 the heating apparatus by a suitable chain which preferably extends downward. through the walls of the building, the arrangement being such that by moving the slide to. its upper position the valve or damper is opened and. by lowering the slide the valve or damper is closed. The slide is normally held in upper position by a spring catch but can be released by an electromagnetic an rangenient. Thus the control apparatus ll manually operated. to open the valve damper and is electrically operated to close the same.

Referring: now more particularly to the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, 10 is a panel having a front face 11 and the bevel edge portions 12 the latter being adapted to rest against the wall to which the device is fastened. 13 is a slide housing comprising a channeled member secured to the under side of the front face 11 by suitable brackets 14. The slide housing has the longitudinally extendinn guide ways 15 therein in which the slide 16 is movable. This slide has a chain or wire 17 secured to the lower end thereof. this chain extending through the walls of the build-fine to the valve or damper of the heating apparatus. The slide16 has a laterally projecting shank 18 which extends through a vertical slot 19 in the panel and is provided with an operating handle 20.

Secured to the upper end of the slide housine' 13 by means of a bracket 2i is a supportin. frame comprising the laterally extendtinu: plate 23 and the upturned flange 24. An elcc romagiwt 25 attached. to the fiance 24. and extends transversely of the panel. The armature 26 of the electromau'net pivotally mounted by pins 27 on the upstanding; lugs 28, the latter being preferably formed integral with the frame 22. A. leai spring 29 normally holds the armature 26 away from the electro-magnet while the energization of the latter draws the armature towards the same in opposition to the spring. The plate 23 has the upstanding lugs 29' and 30 connected by a cross pin 31. 32 is a strip pivotally mounted on the cross pin 31. having an upper arm 33 adapted to rest upon the armature 26 when the latter is in normal position. A second arm 34 engages a cross member on the slide 16 so that the latter is prevented. from downward movement. When the electro' magnet is energizedthus drawing the armature toward the same. the arm 33 is disenganed from the armature thus allowing the trip to pivot about the cross pin 31 and release the slide 16. The upper edge of the armature 26 has a slot 36 therein into which the arm 33 projects and the trip is held in alignment with said slot by means of the springs 37 and 38 sleeved upon the cross pindl and having their outer endsabutting when the. icepectiveluge 9i? and 8C).;

At the lower end of the slide housing 18 a pair of insulating blocks 39 and 40 are secured tothe under side of the panel 10. An electric contact 41 is mounted upon one of said blocks and a spring arm 42 is mounted upon the other of said blocks, and normally contacts with the contact 41. The lower end of the slide housing 13 is cut away as indicated at 43 at the, point where the spring arm is located. The slide 16 is provided with a curved shoe 44 preferably of insulating material, this shoe being arranged in such a position that when the slide is at the lower end of its stroke the shoe will contact with the spring arm 1?. and break the electrical connection-between the same and the cooperating contact 41.

At the upper end of the panel are two electric switches 45 and 49. The switch 45 is normally open and comprises the contacts 46 and 47 and a spring pressed push button JtSadapted to bridge said contacts. Thus, by depressing the push button 48, the switch is closed but the resiliency of the spring will open the same as soon as the pressure is released. I

In Figure 5 1 have illustrated the electrical connections controlling the burner valve of a hot water heater. In this diagram 50 represents the fuel valvehaving an arm 51 projecting therefrom provided with a. weight 52 normally holding the valve in the oil position. The chain 17 from the slide'in my controlling device is attached to the lever 51 so that by raising the slide to its upper position the valve 50 will be opened. indicates a heating coil and 54 a boiler for storingthe hot water. 55 is a thermostat arranged at the bottom of the boiler and 56 a second thermostat arranged in the mid-point of the boiler. These thermostats control the electric switches 57 and 58, the arrangement being such that the switches are normally open but adapted to be closed when the thermostat reaches a predetermined temperature. 59 is a battery or other source of electric energy for operating the electro-magnet 25.

The operation of the control device will now be described. When the slide 16 is in .lower position the switch arm 42 is held away from the contact 41 and the electromagnet 25 is thus de-energized. In order to start the heater the slide is moved to its upper position where the trip 32 will hold the same and theiswitch 42 willthus be closed. Fonshutting off the heater it is necessary to energize the magnet 25 and this may be accomplished by manually depressing the push button 48, thus closing the switch 45 and completing the circuit through themagnet. The weight 52 upon the lever 51. will then draw the slide to itslower position by means of the connecting chain 17. thereby again opening the, switch 42 and deto openthe switch. 7 1 i can be both inanualy and automatically operated to shut off the heating apparatus, while the starting of the apparatus is apcpmplished by manually operating the it e.

As an additional safeguard to insure that the electrical circuit for releasing the slide is closed, when the latter is in. its upper position, there is provided a resilient switch arm 60 adapted to contact with the trip 32 when the trip is held up by the armature 26 and to be free therefrom at other times. The switch arm and trip are connected respectively to. the opposite sides of the switch formed by spring arm 42, thus providing the two switches in parallel. As long as either i switch is closed the circuit will he operative to act upon the magnet when completed by the thermostatic connections or the push button 48.

The switch arm 60 is particularly desired because it closes the circuit directly from the trip and is thus more positive in its action. The switch 42 is also desirable because it -forms a means for indicating to the operator that the water tank is hot if for any reason he should attempt to raise the slide under such circumstances. In this case, the circuit through the magnet would be immediately closed as soon as the slide was raised enough to close switch 4-2. thus causinga sharp.

click from the actuation otlhc armature which would inform the operator that the mechanism would not function to hold the slide up. Moreover. if the device were used with .an alternating current transformer instead of dry cells, the completion of the circuit would cause a buzzing'noise that would serve to remind the operator that the tank was hot.

The switch 4-9 may he of any suitable construction for manually opening and closing a circuit, but as shown it comprises the two binding posts 61, each of which is provided with a'spring arm 62 having a V-shaped portion 63" adapted to engage an annular groove 64: in a rod 65. At the lower end of the rod there is an insulating bushing 66 and therod is longitudinally slidable so that the spr ng arms may engage the insulator rod In order that the slide may be released in case of trouble With the electrical system there is prei'erably provided a manually operable button (3T adapted to move the armature 36 inward and thus release the trip 3'12. The button (57 is provided with a rod (38 extending through the front face 11. to a point adjacent the armature 26. It is nor mally held in inoperative position by a coil spring (39, but by manually pressing the button the rod 68 strikes the armature 26 and removes the same from the position supiiorting the trip 32.

hat I claim as m invention is 1. In a device 0t t e class described, the combination of a supporting member having a longitudinal slot therein, a housing secured thereto having longitudinal guide ways, a slide member in said guide ways, a chain secured to one end of said slide and extending through said housing, an electro-magnet on said supporting member at the upper end of said housing, a p-ivotally mounted armature, a trip having one arm adapted to engage said armature when the magnet is de-energized. a second arm on said trip, a cross member on said slide adapted to engage said second arm, and means for energizing said magnet to withdraw said armature from said trip and thereby release sa d slice.

9. In a control device for heating appa ratus, the combination of a separate member having a longitudinal slide therein, a housing secured thereto, having longitudinal guide ways. a slide member in said guide a chain secured to one end of said slide having one end operatively connected to a regulating device on the heating apparatus, an electro-magnet at the top of said slide, an armature normally held away from said magnet. a trip having one arm engaging said slide and the other engaging said armature, means for energizing said magnet to release the slide from said trip for closing the regulating device, and means for automatically deenergizing said magnet when said slide is in its lower position.

3. In a control device for heating apparatus, the combination of a slide having one end operatively connected to a regulating device on a heating apparatus, an electromagnet at the top of said slide, an armature normally held away from said magnet, a trip having one arm engaging said slide and the other engaging said armature, means for energizing said magnet to release the slide from said trip for closing the regulating device and means for automatically deenergizing said magnet when said slide is in its lower position.

l. In a control device for heating apparatus, the combination of a supporting memher having longitudinal guide ways therein, ot a slide movable in said guide ways havingone end thereof operatively connected to a regulating device on the heating apparatus, a trip adapted to engage said slide when the latter is in upper position, an electro-magi'ne' an armature engz ;ing said trip, a normally closed electric switch, means on said slide for opening said switch when the slide inlower position, and electric means for one 'gizing said magnet to release said slide and close the regulating device, said means hei in a circuit with said normally closed switch.

5. In a control device for heating apparatus. the combination of a slidable member having one end thereof operatively conneet ed to reenlating device on the heating apparatus, 01 means tor normally urging said member downwardly, manually operative means for moving said member upwardly to open the regulating device, a catch engageable with said slidable member when in upper position, an eleetro-magnet adapted to release said catch upon energization thereof for closii the regulating device, means for energizing said magnet, and means operated bysaid slide when in lower position for deenergizing said magnet.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature,

EDGAR P. BOGAN.

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